Steam operated heater for water and other liquids



Jan. 23, 1951 H. A. SMITH 2,539,280

STEAM OPERATED HEATER FOR WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS Filed April 29, 1947 FIG.|. F IGZ.

l8 l9 l6 IS 3 14 a 7 a a a M 7 f ld/M Patented Jan. 23,1951

STEAM OPERATED HEATER FOR WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS Herbert Alwyn Smith,Cheltenham, England, as

signor to Spirax Manufacturing Company Limited, Cheltenham, EnglandApplication April 29, 1947; Serial No. 744,550 l-nGreat-Britain May 4,1946 9- Claims. i

This invention has reference to a steamoperated heater for water andother non-corrosive liquids.

One object of the invention is to provide a.

heater of simple construction which is easy to install and which isefiicient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide of liquid in astorage-tank or container connected.

to the heater.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heater which is adaptedautomatically to heat a reasonable quantity of liquid in a storage tankor container connected to the heater to any predetermined temperature.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a heater wherein.the liquid being heated is circulated automatically through a closedsystem. which includes the heater.

It is also an object of the invention to pro-. vide a heater whichoperates silently, and in which there is little tendency for a hardinsoluble substance, such as the substance commonly termed fur, to bedeposited on the internal surface thereof.

A further object of the invention is to enable the heating steam supplyto be terminated automatically when the liquid being heated. bycirculation through the heater reaches the, predetermined temperature,and to provide safety means for releasing pressure in. the steam supplypipe if the said pressure approaches an excessive or dangerous value.

enable the component parts of the heater to assume their correctrelative positions automatically when assembled in the heater body.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from thespecific, embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is an elevation of the heater,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the same, and

Figure 3 is a transverse section through the body or casin of theheater, along the line a--a, Figure 2.

The body or casing l of the heater is of hollow cylindrical form, and isprovided at its upper end with a tapped boss 2 which opens into theinterior of the body [through a heated wateroutlet port 3 adapted toreceive a length of pipe for putting the body If into communication witha storage tank or-1ike container for the 2 water or other liquid to beheated, whichv pipe. enters the tank or container at or slightly belowthe level of the liquid in said tank or container.- Similarly, a tappedboss 4 and water inlet port 5 are provided at the lower end of the body1 whereby the heater may be connected by a suitable length of pipe tothe lower part of the tank or container to thereby create a closedcircuit for the liquid.

The heater body I is formed, between the two ports 3 and 5 and at aposition close to the lower port 5, with a restriction 6 and,substantially mid-way between said ports, is formed with a system ofradial fins L A steam supply nozzle 8 is screw-connected to, and isco-axia1 of, the lower portion of the body I, and projects to such adistance inwardly of said body that its outlet is disposed within therestriction 6. An internally flanged nut 9 is screw-connected to thelower end of body I for securing to said body a tapped nipple l0 intowhich a steam supply pipe (not shown) is adapted to be connected forfeeding steam to the heater through the nozzle 8.

A thermostatically controlled valve l I is suspended from the upper partof the body I, in co-axial alignment with the nozzle 8. The said valve Hcomprises a ball l2, which is adapted to abut closely upon an annularseating l3 sure rounding the outlet of nozzle 8, and serves to cutoffthe supply of steam into the heater. The valve H is located below acasing M which encloses a heat sensitive unit, the lower end of saidunit being free and being connected to the A still further object of theinvention is to. 5 valve ll, whereas the upper end of said unit isanchored to the said casing HI.v The casing [4 extends downwardly intothe heater body I through a co-axial opening IS in the upper end of thesaid body, and is provided with a threaded neck I 5 to which a nut I! isconnected, a washer 18 being interposed between the nut. and the upperend of the casing M and resting upon, an annular abutment or shoulder 19formed interiorly of the upper end of the body I. the valve H issuspended in the body I. by the washer 18 in such a manner that the saidvalve H and the casing M may be displaced longitudinally away from theupper end of the nozzle 8 through a distance equal to the space betweenthe undersurface of the. washer and the upper end of the said casing 14.

The nut it is loaded by a spring 29 which is ccmpressed between the,said nut and the crown of a cap'Zl secured to the upper end of the bodyI by an internally flanged nut 22 screwed to the Thus,

upper end of said body. Consequently, any longitudinal displacement ofthe valve and casing assembly away from the nozzle 8, takes placeagainst the action of the spring, and the latter normally serves forretaining the nut ii in contact with the washer i8 and the latter incontact with the annular abutment iii.

ihe casing it extends longitudinally and coaxially of the body i and itis maintained in its co-axial disposition .by a series of fins I, theinner edges of which fins are located in a circle having its axis in thecentre line of the body i and of a diameter substantially equal to thediameter of the casing. The fins '5 thus centre the ball i2 of the valvel I relatively to the axis of the nozzle 8, whereas the nut i1, washerl8 and annular abutment i9 determine the distance between the valve ball52 and the nozzle seating :3. By rotation of the nut i'i upon thethreaded neck It, the distance between the said ball 52 and seating itmay be varied for adjusting the temperature of the liquid at which theball i2 impacts the seating 53 to close the nozzle outlet and out offthe supply of steam to the heater. This adjustment is facilitated bygiving the interior of the mouth of the cap 2i the same non-circularconfiguration as the nut so that both may be rotated manually uponslacking the flanged nut 22 upon the body 5.

The location or" the nozzle outlet within the restriction 6 permits thenozzle, as steam is fed to the heater, to operate as an injector andthereby circulate the liquid around the closed circuit in which thecontainer and heater are incorporated. The admission of steam heats theliquid in the heater, and the circulation of the liquid not only ensuresthat all the liquid in the circuit is raised to a substantially uniformtemperature, but also eliminates or reduces noise at the nozzle and anytendency for hard or other undesirable' substances (commonly known asfur) to be deposited within the heater, more particularly in the regionof the nozzle 8.

As the temperature of the liquid rises, the heat sensitive unit Withinthe casing i l expands and causes the valve l l to move towards thenozzle 8. Eventually, when the liquid reaches a temperature determinedby the initial adjustment or" the nut ii upon the neck it, the ball ofthe valve i i impacts the nozzle seating i3 and cuts off the supply ofsteam through the said nozzle into the heater. Should the closing of thenozzle result in the creation of an excessive pressure in the steamsupply line and the said nozzle, the said pressure displaces the valve,casing and nut assembly longitudinally within the body away from thenozzle and against the action of the spring 29, so that the springserves as a safety device.

I have illustrated and described one embodiment or" my invention, but itwill be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied orpracticed within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A steam operated liquid circulating heater comprising an elongatedtubular body having open ends and having a radially extending coldliquid inlet adjacent one end and a radially extending heated liquidoutlet adjacent the opposite end; a steam supply nozzle projecting intoand closing that end of said body adjacent said cold liquid inlet andhaving its discharge end directed toward the opposite end of said bodyand 4 terminating above said cold liquid inlet, said nozzle beingadapted to be connected to a source of steam to circulate liquid fromsaid inlet to said outlet and to heat said liquid during suchcirculation; means for closing that end of said body opposite thatclosed by said steam nozzle; a supporting member within said body andadjacent said last-mentioned means; an elongated, thermally-responsive,expansive and contractible assembly within said body responsive tovariations in temperature of the liquid passing through said body, saidassembly being axially disposed with respect to said steam nozzle andhaving one end supported by said supporting means and its opposite endterminating adjacent the discharge end of said steam nozzle; and a valveon that end of said thermally-responsive assembly adjacent the dischargeend of said steam nozzle adapted to open and close said discharge end tocontrol the discharge of steam from said nozzle in response to theexpansive and contractive movements of said thermally-responsiveassembly.

2. A steam operated liquid circulating heater as claimed in claim 1, inwhich the elongated body has an internal restriction intermediate theinlet and outlet ports and adjacent the discharge end of the steamnozzle, whereby dis charge of steam from said nozzle will effect aninjector action to cause circulation of the liquid from the inlet portto the outlet port.

3. A steam operated liquid circulating heater as claimed in claim 1 inwhich the interior of the elongated body is provided intermediate itsends with inwardly extending, circumferentially spaced fins, the innerends of which fins are slidably engaged by the thermally-responsiveassembly, whereby said assembly is guided during its expansive andcontractive movements.

4. A steam operated liquid circulating heater as claimed in claim 1 inwhich the thermallyresponsive assembly includes an elongated outercasing having one end supported by said supporting member, and itsopposite end free and terminating adjacent the discharge end of saidsteam nozzle and an elongated, thermallyresponsive, expansible andcontractible member within said casing having one end anchored to thatend of the casing which is adjacent the supporting member and having itsopposite end free and extending outwardly of the free end of the casingand terminating adjacent the dis charge end of said steam nozzle, thevalve for opening and closing the discharge end of said nozzle beingpositioned on said free terminal end of said thermally-responsivemember.

5. A steam operated liquid circulating heater as defined in claim 1 inwhich the supporting member comprises a disc having an aperture therein,and in which the end of the thermallyresponsive assembly opposite thaton which the valve is located is threaded and passes freely through theaperture in said disc, and in which a nut is threaded on said threadedend on the opposite side of the disc to the thermallyresponsive assemblyto support said thermallyresponsive assembly from said disc.

6. A steam operated liquid circulating heater as defined in claim 5 inwhich the tubular body adjacent that end opposite the end closed by thesteam nozzle is provided with an internal. flange for supporting theperiphery of said apertured disc.

'7. A steam operated liquid circulating heater as defined in claim 5 inwhich a compression.

5 spring is disposed between the means which closes that end of the bodyopposite that closed by the steam nozzle and the nut, which springopposes bodily axial movement of said thermallyresponsive assembly in adirection away from the discharge end of the steam nozzle.

8. A steam operated liquid circulating heater as defined in claim 7, inwhich the means for closing that end of the body opposite that closed bythe steam nozzle comprises a cup-like member, and in which the saidcompression spring is housed within said cup-like member and extendsbetween the closed end of said cup-like member and. said nut.

9. A steam operated liquid circulating heater as defined in claim 7 inwhich the means for,

closing that end of the body opposite that closed by said steam nozzlecomprises a cup-like member rotatably secured to said end of the bodyand having a non-circular inner portion slidably but non-rotatablyengaging said nut, whereby rotation of said cup-like member willsimultaneously 6 effect rotation of said nut to adjust the position ofthe valve on the opposite end of the thermallyresponsive assembly withrespect to the discharge end of said steam nozzle.

H. ALWYN SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 22,603 Adlam Feb. 20, 194592,622 Mock July 13, 1869 1,152,459 Weld Sept. '7, 1913 1,243,999Snediker Oct. 23, 1917 2,212,288 Decker Aug. 20, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 417,312 Great Britain Oct. 2, 1934 567,799 GreatBritain Mar. 5, 1945

